Type-writing machine.



' Q R. H. STROTHER.

TYPE WRITING'MAOHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16,1912.

Patnted Jan.14,191 3 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

' INVENTEJR R; H. STROTHER. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED' JULY 16, 1912.

Patented Ja11;14, 1913.

3 SHEETQ-SHEET 2.

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1-15 ATTORNEY R. H. STROTHER.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F'ILED JULY 16,1912.

Patented Jan. v14, 1913.

. a SHEETS-SHEET 'a.

|NVENTUR= WITNEESEE= vii,

' ATTDFENEY y TED STATES rnrnnr orrron' ROBERT H. STROTHER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OR TO UNION TYPE- WRITER COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, G JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPO- Barron or :unw- JERSEY.

arrn wnrrrne MACHINE.-

} Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. July 16,;1'912. Serial No. 709,622.

Patented Jan. 14,119.12:

i ls-all whom it may concern Be itknown that-I, ROBERT H. STROTHER, citizen of the United States, and resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

-My invention relates to typewriting machines, and more particularly to the ribbon vibrator mechanism. of visible typewriters.

The principal objects of the invention are to provideim'proved means for operating the ribbon vibrator and especially to vary the throw of the vibrator to usediiferent Stripes of the ribbon as, for example, in those instances where the ribbon is impregnated with two different kinds of ink.

My invention also includes means for throwing the ribbon vibratorv out of operation as for mimeograph purposes. i In one sense the invention may be saidto be an extension of-the same broad idea i ,as that embodied in my prior application filed July 6th, 1912, Serial No. 707,984, the resent case showing an adaptation of said road idea to another machine than. that includes means for imparting an automatic .QI'OSS feed to the ribbon.

To the above and other ends my invention QOIlSiStS in. certain features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts all of which will be fully set forth erein and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurefl is a front to rear vertical sectional view (if as much of a front-strike typewriter as is necessary to illustrate the embodiment of my invention therein. Fig. 2' is a detailview of the ribbon vibrator operating mechanism as seen in elevation from the righthan'd side. this view the mechanism is set for automatic cross feed; and the parts particularly pointed out in the are, in the positions they occupy whenthe machine is at rest, that is to say, when no ,key is depressed- Figs. '3 and 4 are views like'portions of Fig. 2 but showing the parts when a key is fully depressed. In Fig fix the mechanism is in position to write from the lower part of the ribbon and in Fig. 4: the upper part of the ribbon. Fig. 5'

raphing. Fig. ll is a to plan view partly in sect-ion. Figs. 12 an 13 are isometric views of certain levers, Flg. 14 is; a side view partly in section and illustrating a modification. Figs. 1, l1 and 14; are on a reduced scale and the remaining figures are on a larger scale than said Figs. 1,11 and 1 1.

I have shown my invention embodied in a- Monarch typewriter, which typewriter, however, is more or less conventionally illustrated. The main frame of the Monarch machine comprises a base part 1, corner posts 2.-

and a top plate 3; The machine has a paper carriage on which is mounted a platen 4. Said carriage is fed across the machine by a spring drum 5 andis controlled by escapement mechanism (not shown). Said spring drum, througha pawl and ratchet connection, operates a transverse driving shaft 6 for; the ribbon mechanism, the construction being such that said shaft 6 turns only during the movement of the carriage toward the left. 'The bevel gearing between the drum and the shaft is indicated at 7. Said shaft6 also has at each end a bevel pinion 8 that meshes with a bevel gear 9 on a forwardly' extending shaft 10,, which shaft, through-gearing 11, drives a vertical shaft "12 ofa ribbon spool 13 on which is coiled the ink ribbon 14, Said ink ribbon is led near the printing point through a vibratory guide 15; The front-strike type bars 16 are pivoted to hangers 17 .which aremounted on a typebar se exit 18. Said type bars are operated by llnks 20 and bell cranks 21, the latter pivoted to printing key levers 22 having printing keys 23 on theirrforward ends. The key levers 22 are. provided withreturning springs 24 and are fulcrumed at their rear ends against a fulcrum plate 25. Beneath said key levers lies a-universal bar.26 forming part of a frame, which frame also comprises arms 27 and a rock shaft 28, the w latter pivoted at its ends in the side plates of the base 1. The arm 27 shown in F l is the middle one of three arms in the universal bar frame and it is connected by means of a link 30 with the ribbon vibrator mechanism. All of the parts so far described are, or may be, of the ordinary Monarch construction; or, as far as my invention is concerned, they can be of any suitable construction.

The operating mechanism that connects the link 30 with the vibrator 15, is mounted in a frame 31 which is secured by two screws 32 (Fig. '6} to the under side of'the top plate 3. This frame, as best shown in Fig.

7 6, comprises two arms which depend vertically from the top plate and bet-w een which there is pivoted a lever 33 shown in Fig. 12 and consisting of'a yoke-shaped frame with two horizontal arms each having a hole 34- into'which a pivot pin projects from one of the arms of the frame 31. On one side said pivot-pin consists of the reduced inner end of a screw 35 (Figs. 5 and 6). One of the arms of the lever 33 extends downward and toward the rear of the machine, forming a lever arm 36 (Fig. 3). The forward ends of the. arms of the lever 33 are connected by the pivot pin 82' of the vibrator operating lever 38, the forwardly extending arm of which passes through a vertical slot in a front plate 39 and is formed at its end with a slot 10 through which passes a pin 41 at the lower end of the stem of the vibrator 15. The lever 38 also has an arm 42 extending downward and toward the front of the machine; and another arm 43 extending downward and toward the rear and to said arm 43 there is connected a-restoring spring 4%, the upper end of which is connected to an, arm of the frame 31 as shown in Fig. 11. The downward motion of the front end of the lever 38 under the impulse of said spring and of gravity, may be limited in any suitable way, as, for example, by the bottom of the slot in the plate 39. The link 30 is pivoted to the lever 38 at 45 which is a point in the rear of the pivot 37 of said lever but not very far removed from the pivotal axis of tl.1- lever 33. It will be perceived that the lever 38 may be termed a' floating lever as it is pivoted to the lever 33 which in turn is pivoted to the stationary frame work.

The levers 33 and 38 are, through their respective arms 36-and 4:52, controlled, the

' first by a stop as and the other by a stop 47,

said stops consisting of ears bent olfjroma plate 48 which is pivoted to the outer face of one of the arms of the frame 31, on a pivot screw 50, so thatsaid plate 48 can rock in a front and back direction. In order to stiffen said plate the lower end of the frame 31 is bent around underneath said plate and up beside it, forming a hook or'guard 51 (Fig.

oe-ones 6). The lever arm is normally held against a stop 52 (Fig. 2) bent ofi' from this [same depending arm of the frame 31. When the keys are in normal position, the arms 86 and 42 occupy the relative positions shown. in Fig. 2; but when a key 1s depressed, said two arms are caused to move apart or away from each other until they are arrested by the stops at and 4:7, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1. It will be perceived that the relative p0 sition ofthe two levers is the same in Figs) 3 and t but their actual positions are difien cut because the plate as is not in the same position in the two figures. lt will be per ceived that the actual position to which the lever 38 and the ribbon vibrator are moved, will depend upon the position of this plate d8. Thevariations in the throw of the ribbon'vibrator, are efiected by means designed to control said plate 48. In the present instance this means consists of a sleeve 53 mounted on the shaft 6 and splined to said shaft by means of a groove 5% (Fig. 6) and l the reduced inner end of a screw 55 threaded through the sleeve 53 and extending into said groove. The sleeve 53 can be adjusted lengthwise of the shaft to any one of the four different positions shown in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive. The plate -18 is cut out, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4 and straddles the shaft 6 and sleeve 53. The two arms or branches of said plate are so spaced apart that they are both either in actual contactwith the sleeve, or very nearly so, at all times. These arms consist of a rear arm 55 and aforward arm 57, the former bent elf from an offset part 58 as shown in Fig. 6 so that the arm 56 is off-set toward the left from the arm 57, as indicated somewhat diagrammatically in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive.

The sleeve 53 comprises an eccentric section- When the sleeve 53 occupies its extreme left-hand position shown in Fig. 7, both arms 56 and 57'co6perate with the eccentric section 60 of said sleeve with the result that,

as the shaft (3 is turned in the stepping I110- tion. of the carriage, the plate 48 is rocked back and forth between the two extreme ,po-

sitions shown respectively by full lines and dotted lines 11). Fig. 2.

18 will be to cause the ribbon to be thrownat one time to its greatest height as shmvn in.

fore will be to cause the types to strike against the ribbon along a wavy line, thus D r The etl ect of this gradual change'm the position ofthe plate automatically utilizing the entire width of the ribbon.

When the sleeve 53 is adjusted to the right to the position shown in Fig. 8, the arm 56 is caused to ridev up on the highest cylin drical part 62 and the arm 57 to ride'on to the lower cylindrical part 61. In this way the plate 48 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 4 and it will remain in that position as long as the sleeve 53 has the adjustment shown in Fig. 8. This is also the position of the plate 48 shown by broken lines-in Fig. 2 where it will be seen that normally the stop 46 stands a short distance back of the arm 36 and the stop 47 a short distance in front of the arm 42. When the plate stands in this position the effect of the first part of the key depression is to swing the lever 33 about its pivot 35 until the arm 36 is arrested by the stop 46. When that occurs atsomewhere near the middle of the key stroke, the lever 33 is arrested and the pivot 37- then becomes a fixed pivot and the remainder of the key stroke is occupied in moving the le- \el 38, 42 to the position shown in Fig. 4 where said lever is arrested by the stop 47. In the case of a ribbon having an upper stripe of blue and a lower stripe of red, the setting just described would be that for writing in blue. When the sleeve 53 is moved still farther to the right to the posi tion shown in Fig. 9, the arm 57 coiipera-tes with the high section. 62 and the arm 56 is moved on to the lower part 63. The result of this will be to swing the plate 48 to the same position as that indicated in Fig; 3 and by full lines in Fig. 2. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be perceived that in this position of the parts the stop 46 is normally in contact or substantially so with the arm 36 so that said arm is held against motion and r the lever 32 therefore turns substantially about a fixed pivot and-it is thrown tothe full extent of which it is capable, said lever being then positively arrested by the stop 47. This, therefore, is the position to which the sleeve 53 is adjusted when it is desired to write continuously from the lower ,stripe of the ribbon, which, in the example above supposed, Would be'the red stripe As-the sections 63, 62 and 61 are concentric, the 'rotation of the shaft 6 does not effect any. change inv the operation of'the vibrator except when the sleeve is set as shown in Fig. 7. p

In caseit is desired to throw the ribbon vibrator entirely out of operation, as vfor mimec-graph work, the sleeve 53 may be adjusted still farther to the left to the position shown in Fig. 10 where the said sleeve moves entirely out of cooperation with the arms 57 and 56. At the firstkey stroke the tendency will be to swing the arm 36 toward the rear, this arm pressing against the stop 46. As there is nothing-toresist this pressure the plate 48 will swing with the arm 36 to the position shown in Fig. 10 and the v ribbon vibrator will remain inactive.

Any suitable means can be provided for adjusting the sleeve 53. As here shown (Fig. 6 said. sleeve is formed with an annular groove 68 into which an arm 70 projects from a slide rod 71 which passes through the under side of the top plate, all as shown in Fig. 11. a link 77 witha second bellcrank 78 at the front of the machine, said bell crank 78 being pivoted at 80 and having at its forwardend a handle 81 that projects through the front plate 82 ofthe typewriter. The lever projects through a slot in said front plate and said slot is formed with a series of notches 83in which atongue 84 of said lever is adapted to engageto hold the lever in. any one of the four positions indicated and which positions correspond to the four positions of the sleeve 53 shown in Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive. 7

Comparing the present invention with that disclosed in my prior application above referred to, it will be seen that there are the following differences among; others, namely, that the two connected lever arms move outward against the stops instead of inward, that is to say, that they move away instead of toward each other; that there are two stops in use at a time instead of one;

The bell crank 75 is connected by that instead of varying the stops by substi- I '36 and'42. Thislast featureof the resent invention makes the present form 0 stops better adapted than the former ones for giving an automatic cross feed to the ribbon. The adjustment of the stops by means of the sleeve 53, is also new in the present case.

Some of the features above enumerated are also present in a modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 14. In this figure the parts are supported by a frame 85 which is secured to the underside of the top plate in the same way as the frame :31 of the form of the invention shown in- Figs. 1 to 13, inclusive. The sleeve 53 is mounted on the shaft 6' in the same way andis, adjusted in the same way and said-sleeve performs the same functions as in theother figures of the drawings. Said sleeve cooperates with two arms 86 and 87 which resemble the arms 56, 57 in that one of them is behind and thepther in front of the sleeve. 53 and that one. is oif-set to the ash.

left of the other. These arms project from a stop lever which is pivoted. to the bracket. in a wayfsin'iilar to the plate i8. Said lever 88, however, projects toward the front of the machine where it has a, stop lug 90 project therefrom. A lever 91 has its forward end lying above the stop 90 and near its rear end it is pivoted at 92 in the bracket 85. A lever 93, having at its forward end a slot that embraces the pin ll pf the ribbon vibrator, is pivoted at 9% t?) the lever 91, and said lever 93 has a rearwardly and downwardly projecting arm 95 to which connected a returning spring 96,

the upper end of which is connected to the frame The link 30 is pivoted to the lever back of the pivot Said lever 93 has a downwardly projecting branch 97 having an arm- 98: projecting forward therefrom beneath the stop 90. The con struction is such that the parts are normally held in the position shown in Fig. 14: by means of the spring 96, the restoring spring of the universal bar, if there be such, and by the means, whatever that is, that limits the downward motion of the for ward end of the lever This last mentioned means may consist of suitable means for arresting the downward motion of the ribbon vibrator or it may consist of means, as the plate 39, cooperating with said lever ho.

shown in F is, if a key be depressed the lever 91 will be prevented by the stop 90 from descending. The pivot 94 is therefore a fixed pivot and the forward end of the lever 9-5 will be moved upward to its fullest extent until arrested by the arm 98 striking the stop 90. If the sleeve F is so ad justed that the eccentric section 60 there the height of the stop 90,

of cooperates with. the arms 86, 87, then the tar Eng of the shaft 6 will gradually turn said eccentric and move the stop 90 downward The height to which the vibrator will be thrown will depend upon If said stop is in a lower position than shown in 14, part of the down stroke of the key willbe lost by being taken up by downward motion of the lever 91. N hen said lever is arrested'by the stop 90 the remainder of the key stroke will be used in raisingthe le-' ver 93 and the ribbon vibrator-until arrested by said stop 90.

It will be perceived that the broad prin ciple of the present invention is in many respects identical with that of my prior application above referred to. The present invention, like the former one, includes two par-ts connected together in such we that each key stroke imparts a definite er;-

tent of relative motion to said two parts, the sum of the motions of the two parts being suhstantlally constant under all conlVitn the parts standing in the positions extent of relative motion at stopping means cooperating with said parts W hat I claim as new and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is t 1. In a typewritingmachine, the combination of printing keys, two relatively movable parts, means. for moving said two parts away from eachother a definite distance at the key strokes, two stops arranged to arrest such motionmf said parts, means for adjusting said stops to different set pcsitions, ,and a ribbon vibrator controlled by said parts.

2. In a typewritin machine, the combination of printing keys, two levorsconnected together, means for moving an arm of each of said levers so that said arms move apart at a key stroke, two stops for arresting such motion of said arms, means for adjusting said stops to dilferent set positions, and a ribbon vibrator operated by said levers.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two parts, printing keys, means for giving said two parts a definite extentof relative motion at each key stroke, stopping means for said parts adjustable in the direction of movement of said parts, and a ribbon vibrator operated by said parts 4. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation of two parts, printing keys, means operated by said keys for imparting to said two parts definite amount of relative inetion at each key stroke, stopping means for arresting said parts at the key strokes, a

ribbon vibrator connected with said parts,

means for automatically varying said stopplng means in order to impart a cross feed to the ribbon.

5. In a typewriting'machine, the combi twoparts having relative, motion and meansfor imparting to said two parts a definite ii, oper lion,

to distribute such relative motion said parts, and means for progri justing said stopping means in era 1: l. has the surface of the ribbon widthwise.

roa ster I of the vibrator, a shaft, and a sleeve adjustable along said shaft and controlling said stopping means, said sleeve having aneccentric part and concentric parts of different diameters. x

'f 8. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon vvibrator, two parts for controlling said vibrator, means forj impart- -'ing to said two parts a definite extent of r lative motion at each operation, and stopping means adyustable 1n-tl1e general d1rcction of such-relative mot on to variably distribute such :relative motion between said two parts.-

.9. In, aftypewriti'ng machine, the combination of-a vibrator, means for operating said vibrator including two parts, means for giving to said parts a definite extent of relative motion at each operation, two stops, one

for eachaof'said parts, and means for adjust'ing said stops in unison.

10. In a typewriting machine, "the combi nation of-a ribbon vibrator, two levers for controlling said vvibrator, means for iinparting to said two levers a definite extent a of relative motion at each operation, a pivoted device, and astopping means for said levers carried by said pivoted device and adpistable by an adwstmeizt of said pivoted device in substantially the direction of said relative motion.

11. In a type'yvriting machine, the combination of a ribbon vibrator, actuating devices therefor comprising two connected parts, stopping means with which both of said parts cooperate\at each vibrating operation,.and means for antomatically varying said stopping means. I

1E2. In a typewriting\machine, the combination of a ribbon v ibr ator, actuating devices therefor comprising two connected parts, stopping means withwhich both of said parts cooperate at eachrnbratmg operation, a ribbon driving shaft, and means connected \vith'said shaft for-automatically varying said stopping means,

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon vibrator, actuating de vices therefor comprising two connected levers, stopping means with which both of said levers coact, a ribbon driving shaft, and connections between said stopping means and said shaft. 1 i Signed at the borough of Manhattan, cit of New York, in the county of New Yor and State offew York, this l5th day of July, A. D. 1912.

ROBERT H. STROTHER.

l v'itnesses: a

CHARLES SMITH, M, F. HANNWEBER. I

Copies of tliis'patent may be obtained fer five .cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of iatex ats Washington, B. 93'' v 

